Better Campaign Songs & Opinions on The Avalanches

It's not a political rally without a crowd-pumping and uplifting playlist. But political campaign teams are not always great music tastemakers. NPR's National Political Correspondent Don Gonyea talks with Jim and Greg about hearing the same songs over and over on the campaign trail. Then they play campaign managers and make a list of better campaign theme songs. Plus, a review of the long-awaited second album from The Avalanches.

Music News

It has been a wrenching couple of weeks. More videos have surfaced of black men shot to death by police officers, the murder of five police officers in Dallas and all of it resulting in mass demonstrations in cities across the country. Musicians like Miguel, Jay-Z, Ariana Grande and others have released new music in reaction as part of the broader Black Lives Matter movement. Greg and Jim explore the history of musical reaction to tragic events going back to the Kent State shootings in 1970.

Better Campaign Songs

Presidential candidates keep reusing the same generically inspirational anthems (Springsteen, Mellencamp, U2, etc.) on the campaign trail. They rarely seem to pay attention to what the lyrics of the songs are actually about. So Jim and Greg are offering their services as political consultants to help freshen up the campaign rallies. Here are their picks for campaign songs that candidates should use as they run for office:

The Avalanches Wildflower

For the first time in 16 years, electronic act The Avalanches has released a new album. Wildflower is the follow-up to the Australian group's successful debut, Since I Left You. As on that influential first record, the new album features songs seemingly built on thousands of samples. This time around, though, the group is teaming up with several collaborators. Greg enjoyed Wildflower, and pointed out that he's a fan of The Avalanches' Day-Glo, positive energy. However, he thinks the numerous guest cameos from artists like Biz Markie, Danny Brown, and Ariel Pink are hit-and-miss. Overall, Greg is a fan of The Avalanches' quirky sound, but gives this record a Try It. Jim is a little more excited about this album, and compares it to watching Saturday morning cartoons as a kid. He thinks that this record might not be for everyone, but you should Buy It and see for yourself.